Air Operations, Bismarcks

Nearly 50 V Bomber Command heavy and medium bombers attack the Cape Gloucester airfield on New Britain and coastal targets.

Air Operations, CBI

• During the night, 12 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s sow mines in the Salween River at Moulmein and 5 B-24s sow mines in the Rangoon River.

• The city of Changte falls to Japanese Army ground forces during the course of a major ground offensive across a 100-mile front in the Tungting Lake region. Later, a total of 22 11th Medium Bomb Group B-25s and 38 14th Air Force P-40 fighter-bombers attack the Japanese ground troops in Changte in three waves. P-40s air-drop ammunition to Chinese Army ground troops on Mount Tenshan.
• 23rd Fighter Group P-40s probably destroy 5 Ki-43 'Oscar' fighters over Changte airfield in an engagement lasting from 1340 to 1505, but no confirmed victories are credited.

Air Operations, Central Pacific

8 VII Bomber Command B-24s based at Funafuti attack Nauru Island.

Air Operations, Marshalls

• 34 VII Bomber Command B-24s based in the Ellice Islands attack the Mille Atoll, but more than 20 others abort in the face of bad weather.
• US Navy carrier aircraft from Task Force 50 mount 246 effective sorties in two separate missions against the Kwajalein and Wotje atolls. During the morning strike against Kwajalein, Navy TBFs and SBDs sink 4 cargo ships and damage 2 Japanese light cruisers, and 12 F6F strafers destroy 19 Japanese Navy aircraft on the ground at the Roi airfield on Kwajalein. A separate morning strike against the seaplane anchorage at Ebeye Island accounts for 18 floatplanes destroyed at their moorings. US losses are 5 aircraft and 3 pilots.
• US Navy F6Fs down 4 G4M 'Betty' bombers and 34 A6M Zeros over Roi Island and elsewhere over the Kwajalein Atoll between 0705 and 0940 hours. Many other Japanese Navy aircraft are destroyed on the ground at Roi. An afternoon strike against the Wotje Atoll produces negligible results.
• During the noon hour, as the afternoon strike against the Wotje Atoll is being launched, 8 of 8 land-based B5N 'Kate' torpedo bomberss are downed by antiaicraft fire over the carriers. Next, beginning at about 2000 hours, an estimated 30 to 50 G4M 'Betty' bombers and B5N 'Kates' based at the airfields on Kwajalein, Taroa, and Wotje and organized into 14 flights or individually attempt to break through the US Navy antiaircraft umbrella to deliver torpedo attacks in bright flarelight. At 2323 hours, 2 G4M 'Betty' severely damages the USS Lexington with an aerial torpedo. As soon as the night attacks cease, at about 0130 hours on December 5, a second day of US carrier strikes is canceled and Task Force 50 retires to Pearl Harbor. (This precipitous retirement will cost the over-cautious Rear-Adm Charles A. Pownall his job as a task force commander.)

Air Operations, New Guinea

• 12 3rd Light Bomb Group A-20s attack dumps and occupied villages in the Finschhafen area.
• V Fighter Command P-40s attack a bridge at Bogadjim and small craft near Bogia.

Air Operations, Solomons

21 XIII Bomber Command B-24s attack Chabai, which is also attacked by 17 42nd Medium Bomb Group B-25s.

Allied Planning

The Second Cairo Conference begins. Churchill and Roosevelt meet Pres Ismet Inönü of Turkey. They discuss prospects of bringing Allied troops to Turkey. Amphibious operations in the Bay of Bengal are cancelled because of the need for landing craft in the projected invasion of southern France. A timetable is set for the Pacific 'island hopping' campaign. The conference will end December 7.

Bolivia

Bolivia declares war on all Axis states.

Bougainville

The Marines receive a further reinforcement in the form of the 1st Parachute Battalion and are therefore able to extend their perimeter.

China

The Japanese 11th Army, in the course of one of its periodic 'rice offensives', takes the town of Chang-te in the Lake Tung-ting area. The object of this offensive is not only to ransack the rice stores but also to prevent the concentration of Chinese troops. The Japanese withdraw soon after taking Chang-te.

Eastern Front

The Germans crush the Russian forces in the Eltigen bridgehead. About 10,000 are killed and 2,826 are taken prisoner.

Italy

The 8th Army reaches the Moro River.

Marshall Islands

Adms Charles A. Pownall and Alfred E. Montgomery lead 6 US carriers and 9 cruisers to attack Kwajalein. 386 planes are in the attack. 6 Japanese transports are sunk and 2 cruisers damaged. Also 55 aircraft are shot down for the loss of 5 to the attackers. The aircraft carrier Lexington (CV-16) is damaged by a torpedo from a Japanese aircraft, and the light cruiser Mobile (CL-62) suffers severe damage from an accidental explosion. In a subsidiary operation Yorktown (CV-10) raids Wotje.

Pacific

The Japanese escort carrier Chuyo is sunk by the US submarine Sailfish (SS-192) in Japanese home waters southeast of Honshu island.

Yugoslavia

Gen Tito becomes chairman of the Committee for National Defense in the newly formed provisional government in liberated territories.

Images from December 4, 1943

US Artillery Piece Being Towed in Colli, Italy, 4 December 1943

The Yorktown picture seen around the world, the famous “Flaming Kate”, made from aft end of Yorktown’s flight deck, 4th December 1943, photographed by Chief Petty Officer Photographer’s Mate Alfred N. Cooperman. Life Magazine featured this picture in full page color.

'Flaming Kate' from Yorktown's Flight Deck

A burning Japanese torpedo-bomber falls after being knocked down by artillery from American warships, 4 December 1943.

Burning Japanese Torpedo-Bomber

US Artillery Shelling Enemy in Colli, Italy, 4 December 1943